Slip socket tool joint



y 1931. T. M. WALKER I SLIP SOCKET TOOL JOINT Filed April 5, 1950 '7 IV- M/aZZ ar" Patented July 21, 1931 THOMAS M. WALI KER, 6F KERLIN, ARKANSAS SLIP SOCKET Application filed April 5,

. This invention'relates to tool joints such as are used on rotary drill stems and the general object of the invention is to provide a tool joint .with a slip socket with means whereby the lower section of the tool joint may be readily locked in'place upon the .upper section or as readily unlocked and more specifically in which the upper section of the joint is provided with locking arms normally urged outward by a spring, the lower section of the joint being formed with sockets within which the locking arms can engage when,dcpressed against the action of springs; the upper section being provided with a'slip collar adapted to be shifted down over said arms to force the lower ends of the arms inward into engagement with the lower section of the joint.

A further object is to provide latching the slip collar in place.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a tool joint constructed in accord:

means for ance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the Figure 1.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates the upper section of the joint and 11 the lower section thereof. The upper section at its upper end is threaded at 12 for engagement with the drill stem, the lower end of the lower section being threaded at 13 for a like" purpose. The upper section at itslower end is reduced in diameter as at 15 to provide a shoulder 16 and above this shoulder 16 the upper section is reduced in diameter as at 17. The confronting end faces of the, upper and line 2-2 of :lower sections are provided with the packing 18 which may be carried in a packing groove either in the shoulder 16 or the confronting face of the upper end of the section 11. The lower and upper sections are both bored as at 19 and the lower section is counterbored as at 20 and a packing ring 21 is provided at the lower end of this counterbore against which the lower end of the upper section rests.

r001. trounce 1930. Serial No. 441,902.

It will be seen that the upper section fits into the lower section and against the packing rings 18 and 21 when the two sections are engaged with each other.

Mounted in slots in the reduced portion 17 of the upper section are a plurality oflocking arms 22 shown as three in number and pivoted upon pivot pins 23. The upper section is annularly recessed as at 24 and each arm 21 is provided with a head 25 engaging in this recess. A spring 26, one for each arm, urges the lower end of each arm 21 outward.

The up er end of the lower section is re-- duced in iameter as at 27. The surface of the reduced portion 27 is circumferentially recessed as at 28. Extending upward from each of these recesses is a vertical groove 29, these grooves being less in depth than the depth of the grooves 28.

For the purpose of holding the jaws closed in engagement with the annular recess 28, I .provide the sleeve 32 slidingly mounted upon the reduced portion 17 of the uppersect-ion 10. This sleeve is of sufficient length so that when it is raised, it will move above the pivotal axes 23 of,the arms 22 so that these arms may be projected outward by the springs 26. When the sleeve is moved downward, however, it will force the lower ends 'of the arms 22 inward into the recess 28 and look the upper section to the lower section. The heavy shoulders 25 and 25a formed at the upper and lower ends of the locking arms form a strong joint so as to prevent pulling strains coming upon the pins 23. Preferably the locking arms should have a width equal to one-sixth of the circle at the base of the lock for the same purpose.

In order to hold the sleeve 32 in its raised or lowered position, I provide a set screw 33 inserted through the sleeve and preferably engaging in a longitudinal groove 34 formedv in the upper section 10. By turning this screw in the lock, the sleeve or slip collar may be held in a raised or lowered position.

what has gone before. By its means the two sections may be readily locked in engagement with each other or unlocked and when locked the two sections are held in watertight engagement and water may pass downward through the bores 19 in the usual manner.

It will be noted that the sleeve or collar 32 is limited in its'movement by the shoulders 36 and 37 formed upon the upper and lower sections respectively.

I claim 1. A slip joint of the character described, comprising an upper tubular section and a lower tubular section, the upper section and the lower section respectively having interfitting male and female portions, the two sections being formed with longitudinally alined grooves, locking arms pivoted in the grooves of one section andwhen depressed engagin in the grooves of the other section, the locking arms having shoulders at their upper and lower ends having overlapping engagement with confronting portions of the upper and lower sections, springs urging the free ends of the locking arms outward, and a sleeve slidingly mounted upon the upper section and adapted when lowered to force said locking arms inward into locking engagement with the lower section.

2. A slip joint of the character described, comprising an upper section and a'lower section, the upper and lower sections having alining bores, the lower section having a counter-bore and the upper section having a reduced portion inserted in said counterbore, the lower and upper ends of the upper and lower sections respectively being formed with alining grooves, the upper end of each groove opening into a recess formed in the upper section, the lower end of each groove opening into a recess formed in the lower section, locking arms pivoted adjacent their upper ends in said grooves and having inwardly extending shoulders engaging in said upper and lower recesses when the locking arms are closed, springs urging the lower ends of the locking arms outward, and a sliding sleeve mounted upon the upper section and shiftable downward over the upper arms to shift the arms inward.

3. A slip joint of the character described, comprising an upper section and a lower section, the upper and lower sections having alining bores, the lower section having a counter-bore and the upper section having a reduced portion inserted in said counterbore, the lower and upper ends of the upper and lower sections respectively being formed with alining grooves, the upper end of each groove opening into a recess formed in the upper section, the lower end of each groove opening into a recess formed in the lower section, locking arms pivoted adjacent their upper ends in said grooves and having in- "adapted wardly extending shoulders engaging in said recesses when the locking arms are closed, springs urging the lower ends of the locking arms outward and a sliding sleeve mounted upon the upper section and shiftable downward over the upper arms to shift the arms inward, the sleeve having means whereby it may be detachably held in either its raised or lowered position.

4. A slip joint of the character described, comprising an upper section and a lower sec tion, both having alining bores, the upper section having a reduced portion fitting within the bore of the lower section, the confronting ends of the two sections being provided with packing, longitudinally extending grooves formed in the adjacent ends of the two sections, a recess within which the upper ends of said grooves terminate in the upper section. a recess formed in the lower section in which the lower end of each groove terminates, locking arms pivoted adjacent their upper ends in the grooves of the upper section, the locking arms having inwardly projecting shoulders at their upper and lower ends engaging in the upper an lower recesses, springs urging the lower ends of the locking arms outward, and a sliding sleeve mounted upon the upper section and when lowered adapted to extend over said arms to hold the arms closed against the action of the springs,

5. A slip joint of the character described, comprising an upper section and a lower section, both having alining bores, the upper section having a reduced portion fitting within the bore of the lower section, the confronting ends of the two sections being provided with packing, longitudinally extending grooves formed in the ad'acent ends of the two sections, a recess wit in which the upper end of each groove terminates in the upper section, a recess in the lower section in which the lower end of each groove terminates, locking arms pivoted adjacent their upper ends in the grooves of the upper section, the locking arms having inwardly projecting shoulders at their upper and'lower ends engaging in the upper and lower recesses, springs urging the lower ends of the locking arms outward, and a sliding sleeve mounted upon the upper section and when lowered to extend over said arms to hold the arms closed against the action of the springs, the upper and lower sections being reduced in diameter to receive said sleeve and provide limiting shoulders on the upper and lower sections limiting the movement of the sleeve, and meanswhereby the sleeve may be held in either its raised or its lowered position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

I THOMAS M. WALKER. 

